D.C. airports authority recommends contractor for Silver Line rail yard, maintenance facility

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority last week issued a notice of recommended award to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. to design and build a rail yard and maintenance facility at Dulles International Airport as part of the second phase of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project, or Silver Line.

Hensel Phelps now is formally identified as the "apparent successful offeror" for the contract, but a final contract award has not been issued, authority officials said in a press release. The next step involves requesting additional documentation from the contractor.

The notice of recommended award resulted from the authority's review of Hensel Phelps’ $253 million proposal, which was determined to meet all necessary requirements and was the lowest of four submissions received by the authority following its request for qualifications.

The design-build contract for the rail yard and maintenance facility is the second and final major contract for the Silver Line's second phase.

In May, the Silver Line's first phase — which connects to the Orange Line in Falls Church, Va., and runs to Wiehle Avenue in Reston, Va. — was turned over to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which has set an anticipated opening date of July 26. Early construction has started on the second phase, which will run from Wiehle Avenue to Washington Dulles International Airport and beyond into Loudoun County, Va.